1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an audio disc of improved data structure, particularly relates to an audio disc having a higher packing density than a regular CD""s (Compact Disc), of which the data format of DVD (Digital Video Disc) system is utilized, and relates to a reproduction apparatus for the audio disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A CD is well known as an optical disc for reproduction of audio signal such as music, and a DVD disc is also known as an optical disc of higher packing density than CD""s. A DVD disc is widely used for recording video information, and this kind of DVD disc is hereinafter called a DVD-Video disc. A video signal is recorded on a DVD-Video disc as a main information and an audio signal is recorded as a sub-information thereon. Therefore, many problems are associated with an audio part of the DVD disc such as; less recording capacity for the audio signal due to a composite signal scheme of audio and video signals, no time management of audio signal, not retrievable character information even a simple word like a title of music.
Furthermore, for users of audio apparatus who, in comparison with users of video apparatus, prefer to a simpler reproduction method, a TOC (Table Of Contents) area is provided on a DVD-Video disc like a CD. However, a DVD-Video disc comprises video contents block units including a control pack (CONT Pack), plural video packs (V Pack) and audio packs (A Pack). Since the CONT Pack controls the reproduction of V and A Packs, it is rather hard to record audio signals mainly, when the audio signals are reproduced simply.
Moreover, in the DVD-Video disc, the timing of audio signal is controlled only by a video frame. On the other hand, time management of audio signal is controlled on a sampling frequency basis, so that audio signals are hardly arranged in video frames without having extra spaces or bytes. In some cases, a discontinuity of audio signal requires to fill extra spaces with blank data. Therefore, it is hard to manage actual playback timing of audio signal, when recording audio signals mainly is intended.
In addition thereto, although DVD-Video discs and reproduction apparatuses of DVD-Video disc are currently available in a market and the reproduction apparatus can reproduce music CDs and video CDs as well as DVD-Video discs, a reproduction apparatus which can reproduce a variety of DVD discs as well as DVD-Audio disc being recorded with audio signals mainly is desirable for users.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an audio disc and a reproduction apparatus suitable for easy reproduction of audio signals and for easy management of an actual playback timing of audio signals when audio signals are prerecorded mainly.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide an audio disc reproduction apparatus which can reproduce various kinds of audio discs being recorded with audio signals mainly. In more specific aspect of the present invention, there provided an audio disc reproduction apparatus which can reproduce DVD-Video discs and audio discs being recorded with audio signals mainly.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides, according to an aspect thereof, an audio disc having a control pack which includes information for managing audio data.
According to the aspect of the present invention, there provided an audio disc which comprises a first pack (A Pack) including audio data, a second pack (A-CONT Pack) which manages an audio data included in the first pack, a third pack (V Pack) including data other than audio data, a fourth pack (CONT Pack) which includes information for managing the data included in the third pack, and the audio disc is recorded in a data structure arranging the second pack at the head of a data array and more than one pack of the first, third, and fourth packs following the second pack, or a data structure arranging the fourth pack at the head of a data array and more than one pack of first, second, and third packs following the fourth pack. In addition thereto, there provided a reproduction apparatus which reproduces above mentioned audio discs, comprising a first reproduction device which reproduces the audio data contained in the first pack in accordance with the information included in the second pack and a second reproduction device which reproduces the data contained in the third pack in accordance with the information included in the fourth pack.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there provided an audio disc having a navigation pack (NV Pack) which reproduces audio packs, wherein the NV pack is defined by the DVD-Video Specifications which is an international industry standard. The audio disc comprises a first pack (A Pack) including audio data, a second pack (V Pack) including data other than audio data, a navigation pack (NV Pack) which contains reproduction control information for controlling reproduction of the data included in the A and V Packs, wherein the NV pack is defined by the DVD-Video Specifications, a first management information managing data included in the A and V Packs, and a management area which contains a second management information for managing the data included in the A and V Packs, wherein the management area is defined by the DVD Specifications. In addition thereto, there provided a reproduction apparatus which reproduces the above mentioned audio disc comprises a reproduction device which reproduces the audio data included in the A Packs and the data included in the V Packs.
In more specific aspect of the present invention, there provided an audio disc having a control and management information which manage audio packs included in a pack and a navigation pack (NV Pack), wherein the NV pack is defined by the DVD-Video Specifications. The audio disc has two variation of types; a first audio disc, and a second audio disc. The first audio disc comprises a first pack (A Pack) including audio data, a second pack (V Pack) including data other than the audio data, a navigation pack (NV Pack) including a reproduction control information which controls reproduction of the data contained in the A and V Packs, a first management information which manages data contained in the A and V Packs, and a management area which contains a second management information for managing the data included in the A and V Packs, wherein the NV Pack and the management area is defined by the DVD-Video Specifications. The second audio disc comprises a first pack (A Pack) including audio data, a second pack (V Pack) including data other than the audio data, a control pack or a management information including a reproduction control information which control reproduction of the data contained in the A and V Packs. In addition thereto, there provided a reproduction apparatus which reproduces the above mentioned first and second audio discs and comprises a first reproduction device which reproduces the audio data included in the A Pack and the data included in the V Pack in accordance with the NV Pack and the first management information of the first audio disc, wherein the NV Pack is defined by the DVD Specifications, and a second reproduction device which reproduces the audio data included in the A Pack and the data included in the V Pack in accordance with the reproduction control information included in the control pack of the second audio disc.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there provided an audio disc which comprises a first pack (A Pack) including an audio data, a second pack (V Pack) including data other than the audio data, a navigation pack (NV Pack) including a reproduction control information which controls reproduction of the data included in the A and V Packs, a first management information which manages the data included in the A and V Packs, and a management area which includes a second management information for managing the data contained in the A and V Packs, wherein the NV Pack and the management area are defined by the DVD Specification. In addition thereto, there provided a reproduction apparatus which reproduces the above mentioned audio disc and a DVD-Video disc, either disc comprises a first pack (A Pack) including audio data, a second pack (V Pack) including video data, and a navigation pack (NV Pack) which includes a reproduction control information for controlling reproduction of the data contained in the A and V Packs. The reproduction apparatus comprises an audio disc reproduction device which reproduces the audio data included in the A Pack and the data included in the V Pack in accordance with the reproduction control information of the NV Pack and the first management information wherein the NV Pack is defined by the DVD Specifications, and comprises a DVD-Video disc reproduction device which reproduces the audio data included in the A Pack and the data included in the V Pack in accordance with the reproduction control information of the NV Pack in the DVD-Video disc, wherein the NV Pack is defined by the DVD Specifications.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.